


The Kid Stays in the Picture

by Kahvi



Category: Spider-Man RPF
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 02:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21965725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kahvi/pseuds/Kahvi
Summary: Robert loves him. A little too much.
Relationships: Robert Downey Jr./Susan Downey, Robert Downey Jr./Tom Holland
Comments: 2
Kudos: 77
Collections: Yuletide Madness 2019





	The Kid Stays in the Picture

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Roadsterguy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roadsterguy/gifts).



"I'll see you soon, okay?" It wasn't what Robert liked to think of as a 'showbiz hug'; the kind where you make a production out of very little substance. No, when Tom hugged you, he threw his soul into it. He embraced you with everything that he had, endlessly giving. It was enough to make an old man cry, so good thing Robert wasn't one of those. 

"Yeah," he said, patting Tom's firm back. He looked so thin, and he was, in every way except Hollywood, but there was muscle there. Real muscle. That Robert was paying way too much attention to. "Keep in touch, okay? Let me know when you're back in town." 

"Yeah, I will." He let go, finally, bouncing out the door like a euphoric cat. At least that's what Robert's cats did when they were happy. 

It felt like sunshine still on his skin, lingering long after the kid had left the room. Robert sighed, stretching, the chair creaking almost as loudly as his back, as he fished his phone out of his pocket. It had been ringing for some time, and it gave him not inconsiderable satisfaction to pick it up at the last moment. He wasn’t an asshole, at least he didn’t think he was, most of the time, but it was so much fun to pretend he was. “Hey Joe. So when are we making this thing?”

"Oh." He sounded surprised. "You're definitely in?" 

"Shouldn't you know that? Yeah, I'm in. I'm ready, I'm excited, I'm ready to go!" 

"Uh, well…" There was no sound of rustling papers, but there wouldn't be; everything was electronic these days. All digital. "We're still working on the casting." 

"Sure, absolutely. You've locked Holland in, right?" Obviously, or they wouldn't have given Robert the heads up about it, but, well, it just sounded good to hear it confirmed. He'd  _ missed _ the kid. Hell, he missed him even now, when he'd only been gone two minutes. 

"Oh yes, you said you'd be meeting with him this week?" 

Meeting. What a dull word. This burst of pure positive energy that he got to bask in, for just a few moments. "Yeah. Just spoke to him, in fact. He's excited about the project." He'd read the books, because of course he had. Who, in this arguable shithole of a world, said they were excited to be part of a project, and genuinely meant it? 

"Okay. Sure… that's…"

"Talk to me, Joe. What's the problem." Jesus. Like he couldn't tell. 

"The thing is, I just met with his manager." 

"And?" 

Joe hesitated. Robert's fingers twitched. "It's going to be tricky." 

"What is?"

"Holland." 

"Nope. No. Tom isn't tricky. He's on board, he's happy. What's going on here?" Money? It was money, wasn't it. Easily fixed. Just tell me what to do, Robert thought, and I'll fix it. 

"Holl- uh, Tom isn't the problem. It's his next role." 

"Joe, come on. Just talk to me." 

"There's a concern that the project he's doing after this one will be… Inappropriate to our target audience." 

Scare the kiddies. Right. Sure. Of course. Because you are the roles you take, and image is everything and  _ fuck that _ . "The kid stays." 

"That's… I appreciate what you're saying here, but…" 

"That's great, because what I'm saying is, the kid stays."

"Robert, I appreciate-" 

"I appreciate you too. Okay, great, see you later." He exhaled deeply. 

* * *

The kid started, just for a microsecond, just enough for Robert to have time to doubt himself.  _ He doesn't want you here, you're intruding, this is a terrible idea.  _ But then he smiled and embraced him and that was worth everything. Robert closed his eyes, just existing in this moment. 

"What are you doing here? My flight is in two hours." Tom grinned, looking so damnably comfortable. 

"I felt like terrible airport food. Have time for lunch?" 

"Uh…" 

"I'm kidding. I was literally in the area" by careful design, "and I wanted to see you. 

Tom's whole face brightened. "That's really sweet." And again, he meant it. 

"And I wanted to touch base with you about something…"

Tom waved at his entourage, reassuring them. Robert was here on his own, and didn't look much like himself in this hoodie and faded jeans; he didn't blame them for being alert. "Okay. What about?" 

"Uh, you know. The picture." 

"Doolittle? Yeah." 

"I just want to know; do you want it?”

“Of course I-”

Robert put a finger on his lips.  _ Soft _ , he thought, uselessly. “Just… honestly. Do you want it?”

Tom stood very still, until the finger dropped. He watched it for a moment, confused. “Of course. I love the books. I’d love to work with you again.”

Robert nodded. “Okay. That’s all I need to know. I’ll make it happen.”

Dammit, he’d spooked the kid. He stood there like a living question mark, hands twitching. He nodded. “Okay. Um... want to stay for coffee?” 

Terrible idea. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

* * *

  
  


“I don’t know what to do, babe.” 

She sat beside him, holding his hand, and he could never really read her. “I know,” she said, and just her voice was soothing. 

“I want to make sure we don’t cut him out. That we’ll do this right; make the movie right.” 

“I know.” Susan said, oh so calmly. How was she always so calm? “We will.” 

“We had coffee. At the airport. I drove all the way over there just to talk to him and have coffee. How does that work?”

She stroked his hair. “Pretty well, I should think.”

He looked up at her, met her soft, sweet eyes. “What if I love him? I think,” he fumbled with the cuff of his jacket, “I love him. A lot.”

“Do you still love me?” She grinned, but he kissed her anyway. Felt  _ that  _ sunlight on his skin. “Mm,” she said, “maybe you do.”

“You don’t get it,” he sighed, but she did. Of course she did. And just like that, he could breathe. It would be all right. She’d make it work. They’d make it work. Robert clutched her hand, and she squeezed it back, still smiling. 

“Of course I do. The kid stays in the picture.”


End file.
